Chapter 2: The Corpse Room 2  

After an eerily prolonged silence, two of her familiar colleagues from the city bureau finally stepped forward to take custody of Suspect No. 2, whose expression was indescribable. Ye Zhu smiled gratefully, then lowered her head and coughed violently twice. Her slender shoulders, much smaller than those of the men around her, trembled slightly, evoking an instinctive sympathy from anyone who saw her.  

The city bureau colleagues had arrived at the alley last and hadn’t witnessed what had happened earlier. Their impression of her remained that of a young girl who had only recently joined the Special Task Force and was relegated to menial tasks. One of them, a dark-skinned man with a long face, spoke up, “What on earth is your Team Leader Zhang thinking? Sending you out to a crime scene while you’re sick? You got lucky today, but don’t be so reckless next time. You won’t always have someone around to help when apprehending criminals.”  

As he spoke, the man cast a meaningful glance at Jiang Bing, who had just handed over the other suspect to someone else. The implication was clear. Jiang Bing’s imposing physique alone was enough to intimidate—his powerful muscles weren’t just for show. Dealing with these two weaklings should’ve been a matter of seconds.  

“You’re absolutely right,” Ye Zhu replied without argument, nodding along humbly, rubbing her hands together in a show of deference.  

The other city bureau colleagues seemed satisfied with her attitude and began leading the two suspects away. Ye Zhu naturally fell in step behind them, walking while discreetly pressing a hand to her back where she had taken a heavy blow earlier. Behind her mask, her expression twisted in pain.  

That strike to the head should’ve been enough to send an ordinary person to the emergency room—or at least leave them gasping for breath on the ground. But she kept her lips pressed together, her eyes downcast, her pace steady, concealing the storm raging beneath the surface.  

“Boss, she—” Jiang Bing dusted off his pants and noticed Yan Yu standing to the side, staring intently at the retreating figure. He moved closer to explain but realized he didn’t even know her name, forcing him to improvise, “That little driver from Fenghe City Bureau—the one sent here to slow us down—there’s something off about her.”  

As far as the members of the Special Investigation Unit were concerned, Ye Zhu was nothing more than a nuisance Team Leader Zhang had foisted upon them. Given their unique status and unconventional work, they were no strangers to such “favors.” None of them had taken the fresh-faced girl seriously—as long as she stayed quiet and out of the way, they couldn’t be bothered to spare her a second glance.  

Jiang Bing quickly summarized the earlier events and concluded, “So, you think Team Leader Zhang was actually doing us a solid? Sending us someone competent for once?”  

“Not necessarily out of kindness,” Yan Yu replied, his expression shifting almost imperceptibly, as if amused. “Actually, she noticed someone outside the courtyard before you did.”

“Really?” Jiang Bing looked somewhat incredulous. After all, he had been sitting in the car outside the entire time, vigilantly observing the surroundings without letting his guard down for a moment.

The peeping Tom must have had some skills and was familiar with the area around the crime scene to approach undetected and climb onto the wall to observe. Jiang Bing had spotted him the moment a bit of hair became visible. Yet that young girl had been standing under the eaves with all sorts of noisy distractions around her—how could she have noticed before him? Was she just boasting?

That was his first thought upon hearing Yan Yu’s words. But seeing the man’s intrigued expression, he couldn’t help but believe it a little. The reason was simple: after working together for so long, he knew Yan Yu never lied. Moreover, when the peeper was discovered, Yan Yu had been standing just a few steps away from Ye Zhu. So… was it actually true?

If so, her observational skills and reaction speed were seriously impressive.

Yan Yu didn’t elaborate further. The two stood there for a while longer before finally walking back at a leisurely pace toward the long-abandoned house.

By then, Ye Zhu was sitting in the open trunk of a police van, letting an older male colleague examine her arm with some wide rotations. After confirming her injury wasn’t serious, the colleague relaxed slightly and went back into the yard to continue working.

Thanking him softly, Ye Zhu crossed her legs and sat comfortably in the van, squinting at the two tall figures slowly making their way back down the dirt road.

Yan Yu. Jiang Bing.

The names rolled around her tongue before she swallowed them back. Watching their unhurried, almost leisurely stroll, she lowered her gaze, a new thought forming in her mind. It seemed the Special Investigation Unit had, for some reason, turned its attention to this small Wenzhuang Village. Those two were probably using the opportunity to discreetly observe something.

While she was lost in thought, Yan Yu had somehow appeared in front of the van. Blinking back to awareness, she stared at the long legs that had suddenly entered her line of sight before tilting her head up. The setting sun’s glare made her eyes water slightly before they adjusted.

“Jiang Bing mentioned you were injured.”

The deep, magnetic voice carried a pleasant cadence, prompting Ye Zhu to study him more closely. He was young and strikingly handsome, his casual clothes unable to hide his well-built frame. His slightly longer short hair caught the sunlight behind him, giving off faint chestnut highlights.

“Just a flesh wound,” she replied dismissively.

Faced with her indifferent response, Yan Yu simply observed her for another moment. Seeing no stiffness in her movements and her bright, alert eyes above the mask, he finally nodded slightly and walked away.

By nightfall, the police had finished collecting evidence and witness statements. Several police vans, their lights flashing, gradually disappeared down the bumpy dirt road.

The unremarkable black Jeep reserved for the Special Investigation Unit trailed behind the police cars at a steady distance. On the way back to Fenghe City Public Security Bureau, Jiang Bing took the wheel. Though the entire team gave off an aloof first impression, they weren’t heartless enough to exploit a young woman who had just been injured.  

Ye Zhu didn’t refuse either. After Jiang Bing spoke up, she promptly climbed into the backseat of the Jeep and settled in comfortably, closing her eyes to rest. Although the police team had successfully wrapped up their operation just as dusk fell, there was still plenty of work waiting back at the station. She didn’t know what to expect from this investigation unit, but it never hurt to be prepared.  

With that thought, the jolting of the rural road and the heaviness of her cold-addled head lulled her into an unexpected sleep.  

The car was quiet, the small overhead light casting a dim glow as the occasional rustle of turning pages broke the silence. After finishing the thick stack of documents in his hands, Yan Yu, seated in the passenger seat, lifted his head and pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. The Special Investigation Unit had taken on this serial disappearance case in a rush. Upon arriving in Fenghe City, the team had no time to rest before rushing to the crime scene after discovering what appeared to be the remains of a missing person. Only now could they finally catch their breath.  

He lowered his hand, but his gaze paused when it inadvertently swept over the rearview mirror.  

Jiang Bing noticed his movement and glanced at the mirror as well. Seeing the figure slumped in deep sleep, the mask puffing slightly with each breath, he let out a faint, amused snort. “She’s really something.”  

Putting aside everything else, just consider her day: first, she was dismissed by her superior as deadweight and shoved onto the Special Investigation Unit, then she took a hard hit from behind while apprehending a suspect. Yet here she was, sleeping like a log—impressive, really.  

Yan Yu raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond, shifting his attention back to the documents on his lap and pulling out a few to study in detail.  

Jiang Bing smacked his lips, throat bobbing as he fought off a craving for a cigarette. Still, he restrained himself, sharp eyes fixed on the dark road outside. The convoy had reached a winding mountain highway, devoid of streetlights, the distant peaks looming like monstrous beasts ready to swallow them whole.  

The terrain around Fenghe City wasn’t flat, dotted with scattered low mountains, so the winding road wasn’t particularly treacherous—just a few sharp turns that looked more dangerous than they were.  

As the police cars ahead disappeared around the bends one after another, Jiang Bing prepared to follow suit, easing his foot off the accelerator and onto the brake.  

But the moment the Jeep entered the curve, a rapid succession of frantic honks erupted ahead, piercing the silent night. Then came the deep, blaring horn of a large truck—its high beams glaring as it barreled toward them at a speed far exceeding the road’s limit, showing no signs of stopping!

Several police cars ahead of them managed to swerve in time, but two were still affected. One lost control, scraping along the cliffside—sparks flying from its side—before barely coming to a stop a few hundred meters later. The other was in even greater peril, crashing through the tall roadside barrier and leaving its front end dangling precariously over the unfathomably deep valley below!

Though the description may seem lengthy, everything happened in mere seconds. Jiang Bing had no time to deliberate. Faced with the oncoming truck barreling toward their jeep, he decisively spun the steering wheel, executing a sharp turn to reverse their direction. Then, flooring the accelerator, the tires screeched against the pavement, leaving a trail of smoke as the jeep roared forward with a thunderous burst of speed!

Seconds later, the massive truck smashed through the guardrail, tumbling relentlessly down the mountainside. A deafening crash followed, kicking up a thick cloud of dust that momentarily obscured the scene.

Once out of danger, the jeep came to a stop on a relatively flat and safe roadside clearing not far away. For a moment, the only sound inside the vehicle was the heavy panting of its occupants.

Ye Zhu had opened her eyes the moment danger struck, immediately grabbing the handle above the rear door to brace herself with all her might. As the vehicle stopped, she turned back with lingering fear—just in time to see a towering column of flames erupt from the valley where the truck had plunged.

Without a second thought, she unbuckled her seatbelt, leaped out of the jeep, and sprinted toward the scene of the crash.